Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Meeks swipes the cone!

I just got around to transcribing the portion of State Sen. James Meeks' interview with Carol Marin Monday evening on WTTW Ch. 11's "Chicago Tonight" program in which he became at least temporary custodian of the Bill Brady Cone of Cotton Candy awarded to the political candidate currently offering the most insubstantial airy sweetness:

MARIN: The city is awash in red ink, the schools have profound issues, the police are understaffed. Regardless of what economies you think you can find in that city budget, if you were mayor, isn’t the honest thing to say is that you’re going to have to raise taxes?

MEEKS: You know, the honest thing to say is that you cannot say you’re going to raise taxes until you get in and find out what all of the problems are. People don’t want to hear anybody say ”I will raise taxes” until they hear you say, “I will go in, I will put every city agency under a microscope, I will trim everywhere there is to trim, I will cut everywhere there is to cut.” The last thing people want to hear you say is, “I’ll raise taxes” and you have not looked at how to trim or how to save. So I think trimming and saving is the first thing that people want to hear you say. Not just that people want to hear you say, it’s the first thing that you should want to do. It’s the first thing that you should want to do before you say, “I want to raise taxes.”

MARIN: You know government. You know enough about Chicago. You’ve got to have some insight into this budget before you’d walk into the fifth floor. So name a couple of budget fixes that you think are ripe to address, walking into that office.

MEEKS: I think the most dangerous thing you can do is to say what you’re going to fix. I just think it is. We have a lot of issues with this budget, there are a lot of places that we can trim, but there are none which you can talk about now. You heard one of the candidates saying I will give a major speech on the budget in January, because everybody is sitting now with our economic team and our economic advisers because when you come forth and you talk about solutions, you want to get them right.

MARIN: Yeah, but if you’re a voter, what you hear in that is, “I’m a politician who is running for an office and I don’t want to be specific and turn you off."

MEEKS: You can’t be specific right now. You just can’t be specific. For every action there is a reaction, and you have to get it right. And you don’t want to go in--There are some politicians who ran who said they’re not going to do certain things then they get in the office and they say “I have to do them now because I didn't know things were this bad."

MARIN: So if you can’t do the specifics, what’s a a voter supposed to know about you, enough, so that they think it should be you over Rahm Emanuel or Rahm Emanuel over Carol Moseley Braun without those specifics?

MEEKS: A person is supposed to be able to examine your track record. What have you done in the past? If you’re talking about education, what have you been doing for education? You (Carol Marin) opened up by saying you know that I've tried to reform schools, you know that I’ve tried to make schools equitable across the state of Illinois for all people. People are supposed to know what your track record is. You really don’t have a way, just by hearing an elected official say “This is what I’m going to do.” You don’t really have a way of knowing that that individual is actually going to do the things or that they can do them. I really think the only thing you can go on is a person’s past performance. Whenever you send in a resume for a new job, that resume is based on what you have done

MARIN: Well let me ask you some quick (questions). School vouchers. Yes or no?

MEEKS: Umm...Our goal is that every child will be reading at the third grade level in the City of Chicago. However we get to that point, we’ll have to get there.

The above is from 2:50 through 6:26 in the video below:

Here is the rough transcript provided by WTTW-Ch. 11:

>> CAROL MARIN: He is State Senator and head of the influential Salem Baptist Church. His fight to reform public school funding led him to run for governor only to back down when Rod Blagojevich promised funding solution that never materialized and he wants your vote for mayor. State Senator Reverend James Meeks. Welcome to "Chicago Tonight."

>> Thank you, Carol. Thank you for having me and let me tell you that you are the first television interview that I have had a chance to do since I announced last night that I would be running for mayor of the City of Chicago, so that's how much I think of you.

>> CAROL MARIN: I appreciate that very much. So you didn't file today. Do you have the petitions and are you, in fact, running and filing soon?

>> I absolutely have the petitions. I didn't want to be there filing while everybody else was filing. We'll go down and we'll file Friday or Monday and so that we could have a chance to file by ourselves.

>> CAROL MARIN: How many signatures do you have? I saw quite a competition, 90,000, 40,000?

>> The required number is 12,500. We have about 45,000, 43,000, so I think we have more than enough.

>> CAROL MARIN: There was is a group of African-American ministers and civic leaders who got together and in a series of meetings to find an African-American consensus candidate. While you were one of those considered, they didn't choose you. They chose Danny Davis. The logic they apply is if you have too many African-American candidates, an African-American is not going to stand a chance of winning the mayor's race. Do you subscribe to that logic?

>> Let me say there was several groups. There was a minister's group in which I was chosen. There was a business group in which Carol Moseley and I and myself, I was chosen. Then there was that group and so I don't know what makes that group the official group. I do ascribe to the fact that if there are a lot of African-American candidates running, it will hurt one of their chances for victory.

>> CAROL MARIN: Does that mean some of the African-American candidates, including you, may need to make a sacrifice and say, I'll step away if it's important to you to elect a black candidate?

>> It's not important to elect a black candidate. It's important to elect the most qualified candidate. I think over the next few months, the citizens of Chicago will distinguish between the candidates and have a chance to see who might be the most qualified.

>> CAROL MARIN: The city is awash in red ink, the schools have profound issues, the police are understaffed. Regardless of what economies you think you can find inside that city budget, if you are mayor, wasn't the honest thing to say you're going to have to raise taxes?

>> The honest thing to say is that you cannot say you're going to raise taxes until you get in and find out what all of the problems are. People don't want to hear anybody say that I will raise taxes before they hear you say, I will go in and I will put every city agency under a microscope, I will trim everywhere there is to cut, and the last thing people want to hear you say is, I'll raise taxes, and you haven't looked at how to trim or save. So I think that trimming and saving is the first thing that people want to hear you say. Not just that people want to hear you say, but the first thing you want to do before you say, I want to raise taxes.

>> CAROL MARIN: You know enough about government and Chicago, you've got to have insight into this budget before you walk into the fifth floor. Name a couple budget fixes that you think are ripe to address walking into that office.

>> I think the most dangerous thing you can do is say what you're going to fix. I just I just think it is. We have a lot of issues with the budget and there are a lot of places we can trim, but none we can talk about now. You heard a candidate saying I will give a major speech on the budget in January because everybody is sitting now with our economic team and economic advisers because when you come forth and talk about solutions, you want to get them right.

>> CAROL MARIN: Yeah. But if you're a voter, you hear in that I'm a politician running for an office and I don't want to be specific and turn you off.

>> You can't be specific right now. You just can't be specific. For every action there is a reaction and you have to get it right. You don't want to go in there are politicians who ran and said they are not going to do certain things then they get in the office and they say, oh, I have to do them now because I didn't know things were this bad

>> CAROL MARIN: So if you can't do the specifics, then what's a voter supposed to know about you enough that they think it should be you over Rahm Emanuel or Rahm Emanuel over Carol Moseley Braun without those specifics?

>> A person is supposed to be able to examine your track record. What have you done in the past? If you're talking about education, what have you been doing for education? You opened up by saying that you know that I've tried to reform schools. You know that I've tried to make schools equitable across the state of Illinois for all people. People are supposed to know what your track record is. You really don't have a way just by hearing an elected official saying this is what I'm going to document, you don't really have a way of knowing that individual is actually going to do the things or that they can do them. I really think the only thing you can go on is a person's past performance. Whenever you send in a resumé for a new job, the resumé is based on what you have done.

>> CAROL MARIN: Let me ask you, school vouchers, yes or no?

>> Our goal is that every child will be reading at the third grade level in the City of Chicago, however we get do that point, we'll have to get there.

>> CAROL MARIN: You like vouchers, don't you?

>> I'm not opposed to vouchers. I introduced the school voucher bill, as you know, so kids in the 49 worst schools could get a decent education because we don't have a plan for kids in the 49 worst schools. So I was glad to put forth a solution. All my life all I tried to do is put forth solutions. When there is no solution, somebody has to put one on the table.

>> CAROL MARIN: Would you fire Jody Weis, the superintendent of police?

>> I believe so. I believe the FOP should have a chance to submit names of people they can work with. I believe that that was not done when Jody Weis was chosen. I don't know if he's ever gotten off to a good start, but I believe the FOP should have a chance to offer up names.

>> CAROL MARIN: Has Mayor Daley done a good job overall?

>> Mayor Daley has kept our city together for 21 years. He's on his way out, and I don't think any candidate does himself or herself any good by saying anything derogatory about the mayor, so overall, it's been 21 years, and 21 years and we still have a Chicago. Anybody that has held Chicago together, you should give them their due.

>> CAROL MARIN: There was one statement you made referring to the slave master and the people that run the city and use the N word to talk about those that ended up allowing themselves to be repressed. Was that a reference to the mayor?

>> That was a sermon that dealt with education. And, you know, Carol, that was live on television. It wasn't that I was trying to hide from anybody. It wasn't a tape that somebody discovered in a basement. That sermon was live one Wednesday night on television. I am passionate about the issue of education. I believe every child should have an equal, high quality education

>> CAROL MARIN: Did you phrase it in an inflammatory way you regretted later?

>> Sure, I regret it, but I don't regret being passionate about the subject of education. Those that would accuse me of using the N word, I would want to find any speech they ever made, period. The education of children is important. There are times it appears to me nobody really cares and nobody's concerned. People are letting things lag on and on and we see those children becoming the criminals. Those children are killing each other right after school. I think somebody has to be passionate.

>> CAROL MARIN: Talk to me about other things you've said. There is a feeling in the gay community, among others, that you are intolerant of them. In 2006 you had a Halloween house of sin. In it was a woman who had an abortion and gay people and non Christians and it was the people who were going to hell. Is that something is that a brief that you hold?

>> Let me simply say that Halloween play I had not previewed. I did not know until I got a call from Channel 2 News what it was. It was a youth group and that was their depiction. That was not my depiction at all.

Let me tell you what I believe with the homosexual community. I've had a chance to sit with them and talk to them. I believe when a person becomes the mayor to the city, they put their hand on the Bible and swear to uphold the constitution. That guarantees everybody equal rights.

So whatever a person's rights are under the constitution, that's what I'll do as mayor. I'll protect everybody's right to be and do whatever they want to be and do.

>> CAROL MARIN: You're in the legislator still, you're a State Senator and in the veto session there will be legislation likely proposed for civil unions. And I know you talked to Rick Garcia Equality of Illinois and members of the gay transgender lesbian community and they asked are you going to vote for civil unions, and you didn't tell them no.

>> I didn't tell them yes or no.

>> CAROL MARIN: What will you do?

>> I'll see the legislation when I get it and make a determination at that time.

>> CAROL MARIN: I think their argument is, and the argument of any groups who might feel there was a lack of tolerance, they might have fights for rights in the future and don't have their rights and want the mayor to help them improve their legislative possibilities. Do you see that as possible for you?

>> You asked me two different questions. You asked me what would I do as a legislator and mayor. As a mayor I would protect all the laws of the land. As a legislator, I have not decided what I'm going to do with that particular piece of legislation.

>> CAROL MARIN: You grew up in Chicago, right?

>> Born and raised.

>> When did you know you were going to be a preacher?

>> At about seven years old. I never wanted to I didn't want to be a fireman or policeman, I always wanted or a preacher.

>> CAROL MARIN: Is it true at seven you buried a fish and did a had a funeral?

>> How did you find that out? Yeah, I buried a fish and had a funeral. I preached a sermon and had a group of snowmen. That was the coldest church I ever had.

>> CAROL MARIN: How does a preacher decide to turn to politics and how do you not blur the lines?

>> As a minister I'm confronted with parents every day saying can you help me get my kid into a selective enrollment school? Can you help me, my children are failing in school? I look and say, why is it that everybody wants to go why isn't every school a selective enrollment school? I found out the problem is with a place called Springfield. Springfield can fix this. But there were no fixes coming from Springfield.

So I said, okay, maybe this is an arena that I can enter and help. And that's all I've been trying to do for the last seven years or eight years in Springfield is enter that arena to see how we can make ministers cannot make all schools better. Lawmakers can.

>> CAROL MARIN: Reporters call you reverend senator. I've been known to do the same. Do we still call you reverend senator, or are you now just senator?

>> I'm the artist formally known as reverend senator and now I'm senator. I guess I'm like Prince.

>> CAROL MARIN: Are you also a de facto Republican candidate? In the huge rally you had you had Andy McKenna who ran for governor here as Republican. Is that a message that you are conservative and Republican as much as you may be a Democratic candidate as well?

>> When I ran for office as State Senator eight years ago, I ran as an independent. I really don't

>> You went over to run as Democrat the second time?

>> Yeah. I was sitting in the Democratic office because there is independent caucus. I don't like what we've done with the labels. I think it's time to unite. What is a Democrat or Republican? Just because people believe one way they have to stay in a box. I had these people there because I'm trying to send a message to Chicago. It's time to stop blaming each other. Democrats are blaming Republicans, whites are blaming African Americans. It's time the teachers union are blaming CPS. It's time for the blame game to stop.

>> CAROL MARIN: It's a nonpartisan municipal election and doesn't work on Republican and Democratic lines. Why you and not Rahm Emanuel who comes in with a lot of resources and talent or Carol Moseley Braun who has an extensive resumé or Danny Davis or Miguel Del Valle, why you and not them?

>> Very good question. The number one issue in this election is education.

You ask any candidate and they'll tell you the number one issue is education. Go out in streets of Chicago and ask any informed citizen who is the number one advocate of education in Chicago and they will tell you James Meeks. They don't tell you James Meeks, they're mistaken.

>> CAROL MARIN: You're still going to have to do streets and sanitation, snow removal, water district and it's not just going to be a choice for mayor to do education?

>> Exactly. Just like I do now, the 164 employees that we have at the Salem Church, the 17 million-dollar budget that I have to raise every year. People just think that I'm just a minister, but I'm also a businessman, a very successful businessman and success in the sense that I think we're the largest employee in our community

>> CAROL MARIN: Will you tell me your net worth?

>> Yeah, I'm broke.

>> CAROL MARIN: You are?

>> Yeah. I'm worth nothing. I got a couple of house payments that I'm trying to make, but I'm not worth anything at all.

>> CAROL MARIN: Will you release your income tax returns?

>> Oh, sure.

>> CAROL MARIN: Will you come back to "Chicago Tonight"?

>> As mayor.

>> CAROL MARIN: Before we get do that point, to debate your opponents?

>> Sure. I'll be delighted. I ask all my opponents to do one thing, let's keep it civil, keep it on the issues. I'm willing to sign a pledge to say let's just talk about the issues and not about each other. The last race we just came out of was very bitter. I didn't even want to watch television because I was tired of the negative ads. The people of the City of Chicago deserves more and I give them more.

>> CAROL MARIN: Look forward to the debate. State Senator James Meeks. Thank you for being on "Chicago Tonight."

Posted at 08:59:53 AM

Comments

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"Our goal is that every child willl be reading at the third grade level..."

Even first graders? So if I lived in Chicago under Meeks, I guess I'd want my kids in public school until third grade, and then I'd have to transfer them to some other school which will continue to teach them to read at grade level after that.

Yeah, yeah, I know what he meant, but he said it awfully poorly, especially for a man who so carefully chose every other word in his interview.

Dienne: I think you meant to add "Even 12th grade HS students would also be reading at a third grade level".
I've said it before, Meeks is a fool with apparently good intentions. He wants to do the right thing, but hasn't a clue how to do it. I expect he'll be selling prayer cloths to balance the budget.

BTW, EZ, how about asking Brady for his plan on solving the state's budget problem?
To quote Adlai Stevenson [the UN Ambassador] “I am prepared to wait for my answer until Hell freezes over"
I'm sure that's how long we'd have to wait.

And Dienne, I'll agree with Garry, I believe Meeks really meant to say all students should read at least at the third grade level. This goes with the level of low expectations associated with most Chicago schools.

Yeah, I know that's what he was trying to say. But it comes out that first graders and high school seniors are going to get lumped into the same bucket - which could be good for first graders, not so much for seniors.

--"The third grade is when children should switch the focus from learning to read and instead read to learn."

This has been true for many years, schools did not teach 'reading' after the third grade. But, since reading levels have fallen off with so many children of all ages due to years of social promotion, (and the huge increase of bilingual children) reading is now considered important at all ages for those not up to grade level. At least in our district, we now offer remedial reading programs for all levels and grades, not just in special education. Our district's goal is to have every student reading at an eighth grade level by the time they reach high school. One cannot be successful in life if one cannot read.

ZORN REPLY -- As I understand it, there is a difference between decoding -- the ability to look at all the squiggles on a page and translate them into words and understand the place of those words in the sentence -- and "reading," or understanding what one has decoded.

ZORN REPLY -- As I understand it, there is a difference between decoding -- the ability to look at all the squiggles on a page and translate them into words and understand the place of those words in the sentence -- and "reading," or understanding what one has decoded.

You are correct, and the reading programs we use focus on both of these areas. I have many students with excellent decoding skills, but they're in our program because comprehension is very poor. We also have students whom have great comprehension skills when listening to an audio book, but can't functionally read above a second grade level. We test students to get a lexile scale on their abilities and place them in the level which will encourage growth without going beyond their frustration ceiling. It's incredibly challenging, but lots of fun as students improve and develop a love, instead of fear or shame, of reading.

---I find it funny that the mainstream Chicago media is pushing or suggesting that Meeks is the leading African-American candidate while not adhering to polls that suggest that Moseley-Braun and Davis poll higher. I guess polls don't matter when it doesn't align with their agenda. I believe their agenda is to see Meeks in the race just to make it interesting knowing full well that he doesn't have a chance in hell regardless of his massive congregation.

He is their favorite African-American candidate, but they can't wait to tear him down if he stays in and gains any kind of momentum.

ZORN REPLY -- They all poll pretty poorly as I recall... aren't they within each other's margins of error? And whose polls are these?
Who has suggested Meeks is the leading African American candidate, anyway? There's been considerable reporting that Danny Davis is the "consensus" candidate, though lots of skepticism about him as well.
I can't speak for the media, but I'm sure we reporters would LOVE to have a real race instead of another quadrennial cakewalk. It would literally sell newspapers. But we're not going to lie in order to support one candidate over another. I'm sure better than half the members of the local media don't even live in Chicago.

ZORN REPLY --" They all poll pretty poorly as I recall... aren't they within each other's margins of error? And whose polls are these?
Who has suggested Meeks is the leading African American candidate, anyway?"

I've heard both the Moseley-Braun and Davis campaigns cite their polls which show them both well ahead of Meeks. Their respective polls also show them significantly trailing Emanuel, but this is taken with the field looking like it is today.

But the coverage of Meeks by the major Chicago news outlets is only surpassed by the coverage of Emanuel. I've heard guys like Bill Cameron, Roe Conn, and Mike Flannery just to name a few give their "synopsis" and it's always about Emanuel being the guy to beat (which is true), and Meeks being the best positioned to muster a serious challenge. The problem is the poll driven media is ignoring the totality of the data which suggest that Meeks is not at this point an African-American frontrunner.

ZORN REPLY -- I would agree in part that we ought not be poll driven in our coverage. But I don't trust these polls from the campaigns, particularly, and it's not irresponsible to consider the potential appeal and political abilities of the candidates. I don't see CMB or DD being very close in the end. DO you, really?

ZORN REPLY-- "... I don't see CMB or DD being very close in the end. DO you, really?"

That's not my contention. I'm saying that the poll driven media is being inconsistent in it's justification of coverage. On the one hand, they saturate us with Emanuel due to available polling data. They've leaked Emanuel's own polling numbers when he first starting reaching out to potential rivals while still WH Chief of Staff.

Now other candidates have polls(e.g. Braun, Davis, etc.), but the coverage and the analysis offered by many of the media political pundits ignore their available data. Of the African-American candidates, Meeks has been treated as if he's the primary contender. And he's below both Moseley-Braun and Davis in their separate and independent polls.

You're right, media coverage should not be poll driven at all...I totally agree. But it is what it is. So how about at least you guys being consistent and fair about it.

About "Change of Subject."

"Change of Subject" by Chicago Tribune op-ed columnist Eric Zorn contains observations, reports, tips, referrals and tirades, though not necessarily in that order. Links will tend to expire, so seize the day. For an archive of Zorn's latest Tribune columns click here. An explanation of the title of this blog is here. If you have other questions, suggestions or comments, send e-mail to ericzorn at gmail.com.
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Contributing editor Jessica Reynolds is a 2012 graduate of Loyola University Chicago and is the coordinator of the Tribune's editorial board. She can be reached at jreynolds at tribune.com.